Staff Sgt. Jimsey Roberts, a Newark Resident, is Full-Time NCO of the Year for New York Army National Guard

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Staff Sgt. Jimsey Roberts studies a map during the land navigation and map reading portion of the Best Warrior Competition on March 23. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Wheeler, NY National Guard.

LATHAM, NY (03/27/2013)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Jimsey Roberts, a Newark resident and Iraq War veteran, has been named the Army Guard and Reserve Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year for the 10,000-member force.

Roberts is a full-time Soldier who serves as the Readiness NCO of the 719th Transportation Company, based at the 5th Avenue (Harlem) Armory in New York City. The company is a component of the 369th Sustainment Brigade, nicknamed the Harlem Hellfighters for the unit's heroic performance in World War I.

As Readiness NCO Roberts acts on behalf of the company commander during the week when the traditional Citizen Soldiers, overseeing a supply sergeant and company clerk and preparing the company for weekend training events.

Roberts was one of five sergeants competing for the full-time NCO honor on March 23-24 at National Guard headquarters here. Nine other Soldiers were competing for the traditional Soldier of the Year and traditional NCO of the Year titles.

The winning Soldiers and sergeants go on to compete in regional and then national competitions.

Roberts has served in the Army National Guard since 1997 and has been in the Active Guard and Reserve program for 11 years.

Roberts has served as a generator mechanic, movement control sergeant and a recruiting sergeant during his career. He deployed to Iraq in 2004 and previously served in units of the New York Army National Guard's 204th Engineer Battalion in Horseheads, Binghamton and Walton, New York.

Among his awards are three Army Achievement Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal as well as two New York Humanitarian Service Medals.